Method of extinguishing alcohol fires



169-44. OR 2,611,946- f gwgf k Aug. 20, 1935. B,. A. MOELLER ET AL2,011,946 N METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING ALCOHOL FIRES Filed Aug. 20. 1934BENJAMIN A. MOELLER GERA M. FISHER 24 d.

/NVENTORS .A TTORNE V wide-spread use.

Patented Aug. 20, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Benjamin A. Mueller,Palos Verdes Estates, and Gerald M. Fisher, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 20, 1934, Serial No. 740,634

1 Claim.

The method of extinguishing fires occurring in tanks of petroleum or itsproduct which consists in flowing over the surface of the burning liquida layer of fire-extinguishing foam is in As is well known, this foam isgenerated by mixing a solution of aluminum sulphate with a solution ofsodium bicarbonate with ordinarily the addition of a solution of glue,licorice, or some other stabilizing substance.

This foam consists to a large extent of water and is useless forapplication to burning liquids such as alcohol which are readilymiscible with water because the foam immediately breaks down and losesits extinguishing value.

We have discovered that if an inflammable liquid which is not misciblewith water, such as gasoline or one of the light petroleum products, andwhich is specifically lighter than the watersoluble liquid contained inthe tank, be flowed over the surface of the burning water-soluble liquidand the foam then flowed over the surface of the burning gasoline, thefire is extinguished with the same speed and readiness as would be thecase if the contents of the tank were gasoline alone.

The method may be applied to the protection of tanks containing anywater-soluble inflammable substance such as the lower alcohols, ethers,and other organic liquids, and in place of gasoline We may use anypetroleum product which is insoluble or very slowly soluble in theliquid to be protected and which is not miscible with water, and whichis specifically lighter than the mixture to be protected.

The attached drawing illustrates a tank protected in the manner abovedisclosed. In this drawing C is the upper level of the water solubleinflammable liquid, such as alcohol, B indicates a layer of specificallylighter liquid, such as gasoline, and A indicates a layer of fireextinguishing foam.

I claim as my invention:

The method of extinguishing fires occurring in tanks containinginflammable liquids miscible with water which consists in flowing overthe surface of said liquid a second liquid specifically lighter than theburning liquid and substantially insoluble in both the burning liquidand in water, and thereafter flowing over the surface of the layer ofsaid second liquid a fire-extinguishing foam.

BENJAMIN A. MOELLER. GERALD M. FISHER.

